If you have created an original piece of work, you might want to get copyright protection. It protects your work from being duplicated and used for commercial purposes. People who produce original work like artists, authors and singers often use copyright protection. Using someone else’s copyrighted material could have severe consequences.
You can use copyright protection only for tangible products. It cannot be used to protect ideas, concepts or methodologies. Having copyrights for your work gives you exclusive rights to produce it and sell it. You will also be able to produce products related to your original work. Copyrights may also be transferred from one person to another. Transferring your copyrights means you no longer have any rights over your original creation. On the other hand, if you wish to allow someone to use your work temporarily, you may give them a license. A license only offers certain rights to another person while you remain the sole owner of your original work.
The law requires your work to be original and in a tangible form. It is beneficial to register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. Doing so creates a public record of your registration and allows you to file a lawsuit against anyone who misuses your original work.
On the other hand, being charged with copyright infringement can be difficult to deal with. The defendant might need the help of a lawyer to walk them through the entire process and defend their case. An experienced attorney might be able to establish that they did not copy an original piece of work.